I was eating lunch at a food truck close to the courthouse when she called. Seeing her name on the screen took me by surprise because she usually called in the evening.

“Mom, everything okay?” I asked the second I picked up the phone.

“Yes and no. We need to talk.”

“Did something happen to you? Or Dad?”

“No, nothing of that sort.”

“Okay.”

I was standing at one of the small tables around the food truck and placed a palm over my free ear to block out the traffic noise.

“Shoot.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot, and... I can’t come back to LA, Carter.”

“What?”

“Your dad needs me here. His recovery is slow, and he’ll need me even afterward. I can’t leave him on his own for so long anymore.”

“Do you want me to hire someone to help you?”

“No, that’s not necessary. But I really can’t jet between LA and Montana like I used to.”

“You can both move here,” I suggested. “Dad wouldn’t even have to sell the farm. I can support you both.”

“You know how stubborn he is. He wants to be here with the farm. We can always move the girls in with us.”

“The girls stay with me, Mom. It’s what Hannah wanted. What they want, and what I want too.”

“I’m sorry to spring this on you, but I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and well... the sooner you know, the sooner you can make arrangements with the nanny. I know Angela will leave in the fall.”

Actually, Angela had recently informed me that she’d be leaving a lot sooner than expected, because she’d received an internship at a center researching child psychology and she was starting next week. It put me in a tough place, but I’d released her from the contract, because let’s face it, it wasn’t an opportunity she could miss. I’d honestly been thinking about asking Mom to return sooner. I understood her decision, but I wasn’t looking forward to adding “search for a sitter” to my to-do list right now when I was stretched so thin already.

I just had to grit my teeth and come through for everybody.

I broke the news to everyone that very evening. First I spoke with Val.

“Not much will change, Carter. You’re already a big part of the girls’ lives.”

“I know.” I loved the girls with my whole heart.

“And I’m here for anything you need. In case you can’t tell, I have loads of experience. It’ll come in handy, I’m sure. I’m going to whip up dinner while you talk to the girls.”

I laughed, amazed at how she took all of this in stride. But then again, this was Val. She never complained about the cards life gave her.